Olikara helped found the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability and served as its first student leader. Now based in Washington, D.C., he is a founder and chief executive of the Millennial Action Project, which organizes bipartisan caucuses of elected officials under the age of 40.

"The University of Wisconsin–Madison will be a living model for sustainability, exemplifying values and actions that demonstrate our commitment to stewardship of resources, respect for place and the health and well-being of the broader community, now and for the future."